Funny Pics!

These are just a couple of many funny quirky little pictures we will experience along the way. The first picture is from today when we arrived at the hospital Ali had to pump so I went on in to drop off some mother's milk (for you Red Hot Chili Peppers fans) and to go sit with the kids. Ian was still sleeping but she had her eyes open looking around the room. I opened her little port hole and started to chat with her. I guess she recognized my voice or thought what I was telling her was rather funny as you can see. I wish I got my camera phone out quicker because the smile was even bigger than you see here.

I'm not ready for my close up Mr. Demille! Please no more pictures, oh the paparazzi! I cant be bothered.

Brotherly Love

To our surprise, Ian was in an open air bassinet when we arrived to the NICU this afternoon while Emma was still in her isolet, however on room air. The nurses also asked us to bring some of their clothing in so that they could start wearing their own rather than the grossly over sized shirts they had for preemies. So in the video below you will see them in their very first onesies (blue and pink respectively of course) and also notice the brotherly love coming out as they lay together. I am more at ease now that I see him already watching over her this early; I don't have to worry about the boys coming around later asking for her because I know he will make sure they stay away! Phew, that shotgun can stay in the closet for now!

Together Again!

Reunited and it feels so good! I couldn't remember who sang that song but it sounded good anyway. Today was the first day that Ian and Emma were able to be together since they were in their momma's belly last Sunday morning. They are side by side in the NICU but in their own separate isolettes. They are progressing along so fast it is incredible. We are very proud of how well they are doing. It wont be long now before we have them at home sweet home.

Dinner Time!

You have the privilege of witnessing the babies' first bottle feeding. We went to the NICU today, and what to our surprise, Emma has graduated to the intermediate section and moved next to her brother. They are both now off of their IV's and on manual room temperature rather than the controlled temperature isolettes. Their food consumption has increased via a feeding tube and we were surprised to hear that they wanted us to bottle feed. Preemies don't have their suck swallow breathe reflexes therefore the need for the feeding tubes. The nurses wanted them to give it the old college try. It was nerve racking being responsible for their first go at it not knowing how well they would do or if they would spit up all over us, however they did great for what they were able to take in and they had a really confused look on their faces. Hmmmm, I wonder which one of the Baskin Robbins 31 flavors momma was giving them!

Emma's First Bottle!

Ian's First Bottle!

Week 32 - Happy Birthday!

Sunday morning, October 21st, 2007, one day shy of 32 weeks at 5:49 and 5:51 am, our babies entered this world after an unexpected emergency C-section. Sadly we mourn the loss of our son, Ethan Robert (Baby A), who was still born at 5:49 am weighing 4 lbs. 1 oz. and 17 1/2 inches. He was a good size boy for a preterm 31 weeker. We deeply miss him, we will always remember our Ethan and we take comfort knowing that he is in God's arms now. Shortly thereafter at 5:51 am, Ian Ross (Baby B) arrived at 4 lbs. 10 ozs. and 16 1/2 inches. Always our largest and most active boy he continues to maintain his personality in the NICU, charming all the nurses and flailing about. Merely 25 seconds later, also at 5:51 am, Emma Reese (Baby C) rounded out the triplets at 3 lbs. 10 ozs. and also 16 1/2 inches. After a bit of a rough start and being the smallest of the lot, she is now progressing and doing better than expected. She has amazed everyone with her full head of long hair and lengthy lashes. Daddy is already worried! We would like to introduce our new additions to the Tucker family if you take a look below. These pictures were taken a few days ago and we look forward to keeping you posted.

Ethan Robert Tucker

(Our Baby "A"ngel)

Ian Ross Tucker

Emma Reese Tucker

Week 31.5 - Belly Video

Check out this video...it speaks for itself!

The ultrasound this morning uncovered little miss thing has a full head of hair. Ma ma ma monkey! The next ultrasound on Monday we should measure their weights again to see how big they have grown since the last weigh-in two weeks ago. Stay tuned...

Week 31 - Still Going!

Ali is the little Energizer Bunny now. She got her second wind and is ready to go the distance, however the above expletive is about correct when the doctor came in the room and told her that at 34 wks they would remove the cerclage and then at 36 wks they would do the amnio and if the lungs were okay they would cut the babies out. Her eyes got big, expletive, expletive, and then told the doctor that by then if he didn't take them out she was using her hospital butter knife to start sawing and take the babies out herself. It is amazing that the doctors were worried about her and didn't think she would make it past 28 wks. Don't tell Ali she cant do something 'cause she will prove you wrong! Doctor told her she probably wouldn't go into the 30 wks and look at her now, proving the doctors wrong. They just need to tell her she won't make 34 wks and she will make sure it happens that is for sure!

Meet the Author/Father

Allison said that I needed to be included into the blog site as well, so since we haven't had many pictures of me around she wanted to add one (even though we had my backside at the grill in the rain...and what a fine backside it is!) So I wanted to take this time to introduce the author/father.

Taylor Tucker is a strikingly handsome lad and quite witty if he does say so himself! Now a retired professional soccer player, he USED to enjoy his time on the golf course as an avid golfer with a low handicap (which has changed now that I have to sell...I mean now that he has to sell his clubs on eBay)! His hobbies now include laundry, dishes, vacuuming/cleaning the house, scooping the poopies of his 4 kitties and replenishing his wife's food and pajama supply while at the hospital. When not writing in his free time, he works as a real estate professional in Savannah, GA. He also enjoys fine wine like this mini bottle he snuck into the hospital to enjoy by his wife's bedside for dinner. He'll be the first to tell you that he also loves long walks on the beach while toting along a great vintage boxed wine! I apologize ladies but he is taken therefore I am not at liberty to give out his number or email, although if you are diligent enough I'm sure you could find it on his profile page somewhere. He is currently out on his blog tour so keep an eye out, check the local listings for his next web signing in your area and see him in person!

Week 30.3 - Heeere's Johnny! (Disclaimer: names have been changed to protect the innocent)

Check this out! I happened to catch a great, rare first picture of Baby A taking an early peek outside, a little look-see if you will, perusing the scenery and gauging the temperature before he decides if he is ready to come out yet or not! I see he is already growing a little scruff like his daddy likes to.

Ali is doing great, she has been revived now that we have hit our 30 week milestone and has her second wind (and then she is out of breath again). Knowing the babies could be here any day and that they are at 30 weeks she is okay mentally, which has reinvigorated her to make it to Nov 1st for the 33.3 mark (sign of the Tuckers). We told the doctor's about our plan and they said yeah that's great but we think you only have a week or two to go so we need to show them up now (of course I say we, but its not like I really have anything to do with it but sit to the side of the bed and keep reminding her Nov 1st).

Thank you everyone for all of the prayers to get us to 30 weeks, and for the many gifts we have been receiving thus far from everyone we are truly grateful. We hope to see you all soon but unfortunately we may all become hermits after this. We will be so busy we wont remember where the front door is to get out of the house.

Week 30 - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! We Made It!

WHERE'S WALDO?

Try to locate Waldo in this picture amongst all the presents we received from Paige, Jason and Conner (sister, brother-in-law and nephew) Thank you very much guys you went over board with all of the gifts and we greatly appreciate them. I know it is hard to see but the little hats on the bears have the babies names on them. Yes they have been officially named!!! Conner has said and that is the way it is they cant be changed; Booger Beasley, Momo and her name is Banana Head and they have their own hats to wear with their names on them so we can tell them apart.

Week 29.5 - Not going anywhere for a while?

GO STRAIGHT TO JAIL! DO NOT PASS GO! DO NOT COLLECT $200! Well it looks like Ali is in for the long haul now. After speaking with the doctor yesterday and getting an update, the doctor says that given our close proximity of an hour to the hospital she will not be going anywhere until the turkeys are done.

She is no longer a Mag Hag as she has been taken off all fluids and subsequently her contractions have subsided a bit and having less with only her Procardia than she did on the mag. Her cervix, however, has shorten to 6mm meaning baby A's little hairs on his head are almost blowing in the breeze! The good thing for now is that her contractions are not productive so they (the Docs) are okay with the shorter cervix until the contractions begin to be painful and then at that point when they do its baby time!

For those of you who know Ali really well will know how funny this cartoon is; her jail cell, I mean hospital room MUST look like this or she will go crazy. She was disappointed the other night, in a phone conversation we had, that she was missing her favorite season (Fall) and that she was not going to be able to decorate for Halloween. So I surprised her with 4 mini Pumpkins (one for each of them) and some Mums to sprinkle her room with a little Fall but it wasn't good enough; the stores didn't have the cinnamon brooms to give that fresh stench of the season emanating around her room. If she had it her way she could give Martha a good run for her money!

Week 29.3 - Russian Belly Sub

With all that is in the media these days about Russia kicking up their cold war exercises, my espionage paid off as I was fortunate enough to capture their new Belly sub that hasn't been launched yet. This looks deadly but dont worry I have already forwarded the picture to the proper authorities to keep us all safe so we can sleep at night. No thanks necessary just doing my good deed for the day.

Week 29.2 - Mrs. Doubtfire

We would like to take a minute to thank Mr. Bob Marshall (father/father-in-law for those who dont know Big Bob) for scouring the English countryside to track down and secure the services of Mrs. Doubtfire. We are grateful and she will be more than welcome to help us in the beginning as our hands will be more than full! She will live with us 5 nights a week to help us maintain our insanity and allow us to sleep some evenings especially on school nights. We are not sure how long we will require her services, maybe she will stay until...let's say...about the time we send them off to college!

On a serious note, her name is Grace and we welcome her with open cribs. She also used to own a catering business so she may throw in some culinary delights here and there too - yummy! Thanks again Bob we appreciate the assistance.

Week 29 - Hospital Stay

As you all know now, Ali and I went to the hospital last week. It was a full moon last week the night we rushed there with many contractions. She swears that it is from the full moon and that there are more deliveries on such evenings. I don't know but it sounds like a bunch of new age hooey to me. We did find out however that there were quite a few twin pregnancies there the same evening and some were being squeezed out as we were entering the joint.

Ali has been on the magnesium for close to a week now and we were enlightened of new terminology for what they call such patients: Mag Hags! And boy let me tell you if that ain't the truth. She was LOCO, yelling at everyone and a cussing and a fussing. I think she is lucky they didn't hook her up to a cyanide drip to quiet her up. Finally she listened to her husband to succomb to her own inhibitions and take a fargin' Ambien and she was a whole differant person today and the babies were more active because they actually were able to sleep now their momma was. Stay tuned we will be announcing the big news soon of what we will be calling the three amigos; we'll keep it clean we promise.

Week 29 - Hey Hey Hey...Its Fat Belly!

Ali was yelling at me to get another belly picture on the webpage so here you go. I know it doesn't look as much like her; I blame it on the lighting in her hospital room and she put on a little too much make up for this picture. Look at her eyes, she is even scared at how big her belly is getting. If we could only imagine what she is thinking in this picture???